Enforcement begins on new meter system

The grace period is over for people parking in the heart of downtown Athens.

Parking officials began issuing tickets Wednesday at on-street metered spaces along East Broad and East Clayton streets where new pay-and-display machines were installed earlier this year.

The new equipment, which resembles a tall, thin ATM and replaces up to 10 of the old pole-mounted parking meters, will accept credit cards, dollar bills and coins.

The Athens Downtown Development Authority, which manages parking services in downtown Athens, activated the new machines last month but didn't begin ticketing right away in order to give people time to adjust to the new system.

Most drivers have to walk up to the pay-and-display machines and get a printed paper receipt that shows a window of time between when the ticket was bought and when it expires. Drivers then place the paper receipts on the car dashboard so that meter-readers can check them.

ADDA board members agreed Tuesday morning to resume enforcement of on-street parking violations. Meters are enforced from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays. Tickets are written for parking without a receipt or for parking more than two hours in one space, among other violations.

People parking on all other downtown streets will continue using the coin-only pole-mounted meters.